Bristol Rovers 1-2 Scunthorpe United LIVE: The Gas suffer late agony at the Memorial Stadium

Bristol Rovers are still waiting for their first consecutive wins of the season as they went down to a 2-1 defeat to Scunthorpe United.

Darrell Clarke’s side fell behind in controversial style before equalising – however, a missed penalty followed by a soft goal moments later left them cursing their luck.

The Gas made a bright start to the game, forcing Jak Alnwick into a save before seeing a header cleared off the line, yet they fell behind in controversial circumstances as a cross was delivered towards Ike Ugbo and Lee Novak – Jack Bonham claimed the ball then spilled it under pressure from Ugbo, with Novak tapping it in from close range.

After a period of Iron pressure, the Gas rallied towards the end of the half, with Kyle Bennett hitting the bar and Liam Sercombe forcing Alnwick into a fine save.

Just as it looked like they would go into half-time behind, however, Tom Nichols floated a great ball to Sercombe, who unleashed an unstoppable drive from 18 yards to equalise in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

The second half started off quieter, but erupted into life after the 70 minute.

Scunthorpe hit the post and saw the follow-up cleared off the line before Chris Lines had a poor penalty saved by Alnwick after Stefan Payne was fouled.

The visitors then went up the other end in the same passage of play and retook the lead through Matthew Lund.

Key Events

Full time

Gas running out of time

Scunthorpe have taken the ball to the corner flag and the Gas have not really threatened since stoppage time was announced.

90 mins

Added time

Six minutes - a roar goes up around the Mem. The Gas need to offer a lot more than they have done in the second half they are to find a way back into it, though.

88

Corner

Scunthorpe win a corner after a shot deflects wide.

86

Awful

Lines tries to curl one into the box but gets it all wrong and it goes flying over the bar.

85

Gas free-kick

James Perch is booked for a poor tackle on Alex Rodman on the wing - big opportunity from this free-kick...

84

Scunthorpe sub

Ugbo off for Burgess.

83

Gas double sub

Ollie Clarke off for Jakubiak, Craig off for Rodman.

77 mins

Goal - Scunthorpe retake the lead

Lund bundles through a couple of tackles and somehow managed to scoop the ball high over Bonham and into the back of the net.

76 mins

Gas sub

Kyle Bennett is replaced by Sam Matthews.

75 mins

Penalty SAVED

Scunthorpe stopped the penalty from being taken quickly there - Lines eventually steps up to take it, having had a long time to think about it, but it’s a poor spot kick that Alnwick gets down to save.

74 mins

Gas penalty!

Nichols and Lines combine to play in Payne in the box, he tries to take n his man but goes down under a challenge from Matthew Lund, and he’s booked.

70 mins

Off the post and the line!

Scunthorpe launch a free-kick deep into the Gas box, it finds Novak, who turns the ball onto the bar before James Clarke then clears the follow-up off the line!

68 mins

Frustrating

The Gas are on top but their final ball is really letting them down - Nichols and Leadbitter guilty of giving the ball away softly in recent passages of play. Tom Nichols has now been booked for a foul.

65 mins

Poor

Leadbitter floats a smart ball into the channel for Payne - he has his back to goal and tries to find Nichols, but it’s a really poor pass and Scunthorpe clear.

60 mins

Scunthorpe free-kick

Tony Craig floats a nicely-weighted long ball towards the on-running James Clarke, out comes Alnwick to punch to the feet of Sercombe, but the keeper collides with Clarke and the ref gives a free-kick.

59 mins

Free-kick

Leadbitter breaks down the wing and is tripped from behind midway inside the Scunthorpe half - Lee Novak is given a booking for the foul.

58 mins

Quiet

Both sides gone a little too long ball in the last couple of minutes, not much is really happening.

16:21

More of this please

Bristol Rovers celebrate after Liam Sercombe levels

52 mins

Corner

Bennett swings in a cross that deflects for a corner.

52 mins

Cleared

After initially air-kicking, Nichols clears.

50 mins

Free-kick

Kyle Bennett fouls Andy Dales on the wing - free-kick to Scunthorpe in a dangerous position.

48 mins

Close!

Great play by Nichols as he wins the ball on the wing and twists and turns before putting in a cross-shot from an awkward angle that clips the top of Sercombe’s head on its way out.

Half-time

The Gas go in level - deservedly so.

45+2 minsKEY EVENT

GOAL! Rovers level!

The Gas produce a great counter-attack and Nichols finds space on the right wing before weighting a perfect pass across to Sercombe, who takes a touch before firing a powerful shot into the roof of the net from 18 yards - great strike!

Liam Sercombe of Bristol Rovers scores a goal

45 mins

Added time

Four mins.

43 mins

Blocked

Leadbitter’s cross is flicked to Bennett by Nichols but his first-time shot is blocked. Gas ending the half on top.